The theatrical experience verses streaming-at-home debate has certainly gone up a gear in the last couple of years due to the pandemic. Everything from independent arthouse cinemas to even giant multiplex theatre chains have struggled during this time, and many film fans have been worried that movie-going may never be the same again.
Some potentially good news has come from a recent Fandango poll, that shows moviegoers still believe that higher-quality films are released in theatres, compared to streaming service platforms. 85% of 6,000 respondents also stated that IMAX and Dolby formats made theatrical viewing much more enjoyable than viewing at home.
The perceived ‘quality’ of theatrical releases verses streaming comes at an interesting time, when the Best Picture Oscar has just been won by a streaming service for the first time, with Apple’s Coda. Netflix have had high-profile awards campaigns for films such as Roma, The Irishman, Marriage Story, and The Power of the Dog in recent years. Martin Scorsese’s next film – Killers of the Flower Moon is also headed to Apple TV.
The film industry will be hoping that some upcoming high-profile releases will see people flocking to theatres this spring and summer, including Doctor Strange 2, Top Gun: Maverick, Lightyear, Jurassic World: Dominion, Thor: Love and Thunder, and Jordan Peele’s Nope.
Another factor affecting theatres is that we often do not have to wait very long at all to watch a film at home. For example, The Batman is already available on HBO Max. Disney seem to have pivoted to putting all of their Pixar movies straight on Disney Plus in the last couple of years, but it looks as though Lightyear will be receiving a big theatrical push.
If you’re keen to find out what you can watch at home, check out our guide to what’s streaming on new on Netflix in April.